Trustees and mistake: Where are we now?

Laura Abbott reviews recent case law to discern current attitudes towards rectifying a genuine mistake ‘If a trustee takes advice which later proves to be incorrect, Hastings-Bass is unlikely to relieve the trust of the financial consequences, but the broadened rule of mistake may (in some limited cases) serve to do so, depending on the …
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Daniel & anr v Tee & ors [2018] WTLR 799

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2018 #173

The defendants were professional solicitor trustees of a trust established by the will of the claimants’ father. The claimants were the beneficiaries of the will trust, who were minors when their father died. The deceased’s will provided that the claimants’ shares would be held on trust for them until they turned 25, so the defendants invested the trust fund with the assistance of professional investment advice given by Taylor Young Investment Management Ltd (Taylor Young).

The claimants subsequently sought compensation from the trustees in the sum of £1,476,076 on the basis that ...

Offshore Trustees: Are you watching closely?

Andrew Willins and Sebastian Said examine a case which has lessons on liability and its proper limitation for trustees ‘Courts in the BVI and the Cayman Islands have rightly set their face against reducing the general law duties to such a level as to render them meaningless.’It is comparatively rare to encounter judgments from the …
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Brudenell-Bruce v Moore & ors [2014] EWHC 3679 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | April 2015 #148

The claimant, Mr Brudenell-Bruce Earl of Cardigan brought a claim for breach of trust against two trustees of the Savernake Estate Trust (Mr Moore and Mr Cotton) of which he is a beneficiary. He also challenged the trustees’ remuneration and sought their removal as trustees.

The estate consists of numerous properties including a mansion, Tottenham House with an adjacent stable block. The estate is held on trust for sale and within a partnership with 49% of the partnership belonging to Lord Cardigan absolutely and 51% held by the trustees of the Children’s Trust, the beneficiaries ...

Santander UK PLC v RA Legal Soliciors [2013] EWHC 1380 (QB)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | April 2014 #138

Abbey National Building Society (now Santander UK PLC) (A) agreed to lend £150,000 to an individual (V) for the purpose of purchasing a property subject to taking a first legal charge. RA Legal Solicitors (R) conducted the conveyancing, acting for both V and A. The vendor’s solicitors (S) were a real firm but acted dishonestly falsely representing that they acted for the vendor. On 17 July 2009 A transferred £150,000 (plus fees) to RA’s bank account. S notified an account to which the completion monies should be sent and on 28 July 2009 S purported to exchange and complete and RA arrange...